I think that Boba's aren't that useful much past an Ergo. Given Freya's size, I'd go with a Kinderpack over a Boba. We made that decision recently - Leela at 30" was just not completely secure in an Ergo any longer. We got a Toddler sized Kinderpack for Leela (about 24 lbs) and its great. She still has a lot of room to grow (our friends have one for their 2 year old (34" and about 32") and it fits him well.

I can hike for hours with her on my back in the KP and not feel it. Its amazing, because the support is just so good - knee to knee for even the bigger babies!

They do small batches of fabric, and once they're sold out they're done. So I say if you find something you like (I fell hard for my butterflies!) grab it! The espresso and turtles is perfect for a unisex and cute Team Green player :)

I'm somewhat fat and one of the only things I dislike about the ergo is that it digs into my chub in a way I feel is very unflattering. But I don't know if there's any SSC that wouldn't.

As for baby size, I think it really depends on your baby and your comfort level. The Emperor's something like 39 inches tall and I still ergo him on occasion, and have never felt like he was unsecure in the ergo. He went through an annoying phase where he liked to throw himself backwards and laugh, but it held his hips securely enough that he wasn't going anywhere.

I was just thinking about this yesterday while I had walter on my back in the Boba. He's 35 inches tall and 30 pounds; his legs hang well below my hips, and the fabric of the "seat" comes up to the middle of his back. We get a lot of stares and comments, because you just don't see people wearing kids that big around here. But we like to walk in the woods, where he couldn't keep up and we can't use a stroller, so it's really our only option.

Anyway, the Boba is still comfortable for 30-45 minute walks, and he feels secure on it. At 2 he has a lot more motor control than he did at a year, though. He's not going to accidentally fall backward, and if he decided to throw himself, I could just reach back and hold him down, but that's never happened.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

im having a hard time with all the terminology for different styles.what kind of baby wearer is good for a newborn (or perhaps you wouldnt put a newborn in a sling?) all the ones i keep seeing in stores and on amazon have the baby flat up against you either back to your front or tummy to your front. i like the idea of something that looks like this.

i have no idea what that is called or why i stink at finding one like that. are these things repositionable into 100 different variations?

i like that the baby can like be sideways in a sleepy position and you could cover the baby a bit with the sides if you wanted.

all that being said i have no clue what im doing or what im looking for that just seems like an idea i like.

I'm somewhat fat and one of the only things I dislike about the ergo is that it digs into my chub in a way I feel is very unflattering. But I don't know if there's any SSC that wouldn't.

As for baby size, I think it really depends on your baby and your comfort level. The Emperor's something like 39 inches tall and I still ergo him on occasion, and have never felt like he was unsecure in the ergo. He went through an annoying phase where he liked to throw himself backwards and laugh, but it held his hips securely enough that he wasn't going anywhere.

I'm somewhat fat and one of the only things I dislike about the ergo is that it digs into my chub in a way I feel is very unflattering. But I don't know if there's any SSC that wouldn't.

As for baby size, I think it really depends on your baby and your comfort level. The Emperor's something like 39 inches tall and I still ergo him on occasion, and have never felt like he was unsecure in the ergo. He went through an annoying phase where he liked to throw himself backwards and laugh, but it held his hips securely enough that he wasn't going anywhere.

Nah, the belt's not too small for me-- I actually have to tighten it in something like eight inches to get a comfortable fit. I'm just so squishy that if it's snug enough to be secure, then something is getting squished. Straps aren't flattering for me! Like I said, probably part of any SSC for me.

The waist extender is great though if you're just broad around (squishy or no) and makes it accessible to a lot more people!

LisaPunk, that is indeed a good option for a newborn! They can be very simple and probably the least expensive option out there. As the baby gets heavier though most people find it's more comfortable/less painful for the wearer's back to get something with 2 straps. My babies were rather small so I used a sling til about 4 months old. (Hmm but there are also fancier choices like "ring slings" that can be used when the baby is older as well, but again I felt too much strain on the one side of my back to use one of them for long periods of time.) I liked the sling though because it was so snuggly and rarely failed to get my baby to sleep.

My husband uses the waist extender. Its definitely helpful for the Ergo. And I'm not saying anything is wrong with the Ergo or the Boba, just that the Kinderpack is the biggest SSC (soft structured carrier) on the market at the moment, so its a bit better for bigger kids.

I love wraps - I do, I just can't get up the learning curve - but when I see my friends carry kids as big as Leela effortlessly using just a swath of fabric, I am impressed and envious. Plus their babies go nice and high, with a great view over Mama's shoulders!

The wrap you've pictured LP is what I know as an adjustable pouch sling. Hotslings makes one as does Balboa. The fabrics are beautiful and the slings are easy, the only concern is that there is a suffocation danger if the fabric gets over the baby's face. I had two and never used either because Leela was just big and never comfy in it and I may have been too fat for the ones I got... It was hard to size them online (I am short and sturdy :) ). So for me it wasn't adjustable enough - I prefer the SSCs because the buckle can let you adjust to a lot of different fits if that makes sense. Long torso or short - change the should straps. Broad chest - change the chest straps, slender waist - shift the belt. And of course wraps are the most versatile of all. If you can make sense of them :)

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

THROW A forking YAM IN THE OVEN ITS forking CHRISTMAS - LisaPunk

Last edited by Tofulish on Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.

LP, that looks very similar to our Baba Sling too. Freya wasn't a big fan, but she tolerated it somewhat (she didn't like babywearing at *all* when she was tiny). I actually still have it, I'd be happy to send it to you if you'd like. Better than sitting in the back of the wardrobe.

lisa punk, i found a sling great for the first few months, and even now to feed zaffy to sleep, or doing a quick trip into a shop because she can sit on my hip in a sling :) we have two of these http://www.mayawrap.com/ ring slings are better than a pocket sling because they are really adjustable.

and was it refinnej asking about a carrier for a larger baby? because, GET A WRAP! heh. sorry, i'm such a fan. i was so dubious about learning how to use them, but seriously, they are worth bothering with! i swear. just make sure you don't get a thin one that is more for lighter babies.

I find a lot of newborns don't like that prone position. Most are happier in an upright froggied position with their tummy against yours. That also happens to be a much more secure and physically comfortable position for the adult too.

A ring sling is a great option... It's more adjustable and versatile than pocket slings, it's good for warm weather babies and great for quickly getting on and off. You'll still probably want something sturdy for when the baby is older or if you want to carry for longer, in which case a ssc ( like ergo, boba, kinderpack etc) or mei tai are good options. Newborns fit best in wraps or ring slings though.

You're right about the kinderpack tofulish, they're just not as easy to come by, so i generally recommend the other kinds of ssc that are available everywhere. I find the boba pretty darn comfy with Tzipi who's almost three though...if you don't have huge kids, the easier to find carriers are generally good enough.

That is awesome to hear. I don't have a boba, just basing my view on what I've heard from friends.

I love our KP with a passion. And the good thing is that there is a brisk resale market, so I'm likely to get most of my money back (I spent $170 w/ S&H and they generally go for about $150). http://www.facebook.com/KinderpackFSOT?fref=ts

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

md, one of the leaders at our local LLL group was showing me how she does backwraps with her two (or maybe nearly 2?) year old. I just realized today that the sling group had a back carry workshop last week (they didn't advertise it very well...grr). Anyway, I should be able to find something tomorrow, so I think I'm going to try one ssc and a woven wrap. I don't feel particularly skilled in wrapping so we shall see. I'd love to be able to carry Freya until she's two or three as it's hard for little legs to keep up, but Lard only knows how big she is going to be!

I'll add under the soft-structured carrier section that a Bjorn is quite different from an Ergo, Boba, or Kinderpack in that the latter are structured to fit like a Mei Tai which provides more support for the kids' tush and hips and more ergonomic shape for you to carry. The Bjorn, because it doesn't offer the extra support, can do an outward facing front carry which some babies prefer (but which is less comfy for the carrier). You can't (safely) do a back carry in a Bjorn, but can in the other ones.

Also, there are two different kinds of wraps: stretchy and woven. Stretchy ones have a shorter learning curve, woven ones will work better with bigger babies (including bigger than 20 pounds) and you can use them do to back carries. Also, the author is wrong, it's super easy to nurse in a wrap. Anything wrappable is easy to use immediately with a newborn. Structured carriers will need inserts you have to buy to put a newborn in them if they're not big enough.

If you go for a wrap, I recommend getting a lesson in how to put it on before the baby comes. It's not hard, it just takes a little practice

I'm a big fan of the boba. Ezra's 37lbs and 39", and we lugged him around NYC for a week without any problems. The foot holds are way too short for him at this point, but he's still comfy. (although Nate did teach him how to kick me - like you would a horse - yeah, that got old pretty fast.)

Thanks for that....knowing that it worked for a big kid is valuable. We went today and got a Boba and a woven wrap. We tried out the Boba a bit and Freya was a little nervous on my back, but doing alright and then one of the leaders got her stranger danger thing going on (this was after a spectacular 30 min, wake up twice nap..grr...Freya), so we took it off and had boobies instead. Some little boy before had been snatching all the toys out of her hand that she was all excited about playing with and that set her off originally and yeah..it was pretty poopy. She calmed down, but remained cautious except for with one of the leaders' husband...she thought he was the bees knees.

(very happy later at the Farmers Market, cafe and looking at Christmas decorations at the "mall", so all was not lost)

We just got that Ergo winter cover and it's pretty awesome! It's really nice warm fleece and fits perfectly around her arms and legs, so I can get her into the carrier without having to put her in too much bulky clothing, and she still stays really warm. The built-in hood is big enough that it can fit over a heavy winter hat. Totally worth $35!

Thanks for that....knowing that it worked for a big kid is valuable. We went today and got a Boba and a woven wrap. We tried out the Boba a bit and Freya was a little nervous on my back, but doing alright and then one of the leaders got her stranger danger thing going on (this was after a spectacular 30 min, wake up twice nap..grr...Freya), so we took it off and had boobies instead. Some little boy before had been snatching all the toys out of her hand that she was all excited about playing with and that set her off originally and yeah..it was pretty poopy. She calmed down, but remained cautious except for with one of the leaders' husband...she thought he was the bees knees.

(very happy later at the Farmers Market, cafe and looking at Christmas decorations at the "mall", so all was not lost)

Md, I have a girasol. What carries do you like to use for your bigger baby? We only do the front cross carry and I'm interested in branching out, but lazy. I look at other carries on YouTube, but I'm not sure which ones are worth it to learn.

hahaha, i'm lazy too! i pretty much use a RUB rucksack carry tied under bum for everything. i think as z gets bigger (she's 22pounds), i should probably experiment with more secure carries, but the ruck is so easy! and i like that it doesn't wrap across my chest.